Based on what they see on television or in the movies, many Canadians believe that “Law” only means Criminal Law, which brings to mind bad guys, judges, the right to remain silent, jail sentences and lawyers yelling “Objection” every two minutes in fancy-looking courtrooms. In actuality, legal matters refer to much more than just criminal cases. Almost every day, we are affected by the law in various ways, both good and bad.

Pursuing Legal Studies helps you develop the oral communication, writing and critical thinking skills you will need to be successful in your legal profession. In the long-term, these skills can lead you to a career in government, politics or public administration, and will frequently come in handy in your day-to-day life. They can allow you to analyze situations, events or problems from a legal standpoint in addition to your own personal standpoint. A Legal Studies background can be tremendously helpful if you ever find yourself pondering difficult, multifaceted questions like:

Should schools be able to make students wear uniforms?

Should pollution be a crime?

Should cloning human beings be legal?

Which religious holidays should be days off school and work?

Should people who weren’t born in Canada be sent back to the country they were born if they commit a crime?

Should banks be able to lay off employees while making billion dollar profits?

Should the government give back or pay for land it took away from Aboriginal peoples?

Knowledge is power

Since the law pervades all aspects of society, many people need to know about it, not just lawyers or graduates from law clerk colleges. Many professionals need a comprehensive understanding of what the legal system is, how it works, how it interrelates with social change, and how it assists them in asserting their rights. Your law expertise can make you extremely valuable to friends and family, whose careers may also be related to the law. These types of careers can include:

The rule of law

Pursuing Legal Studies, including law clerk and paralegal courses, develops your understanding of the levers of power that affect our society. This is because law is directly concerned with power, and reaches into every part of life. For that very reason, law is extraordinarily important to preserving our way of life, as a society governed without law leaves ordinary people at the mercy of the arbitrary abuse of power by those who are powerful. Lawyers often use the term “the rule of law” to describe this.

Studying law can allow you to see where there are defects in the system and to work constructively and effectively to change it, offering a realistic way to make a difference in the world. Legal Studies are also an exciting intellectual challenge that develop your ability to argue by giving you training from mediation – alternative dispute resolution schools. Attaining training with paralegal courses equips you with intellectual skills that give you a decisive advantage in your professional life as well as personal life, regardless of the path your career take.